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Friday, September 28, 2012

So I headed out for a run this evening despite still feeling crappy from the cold/flu bug that is slowly but surely taking me down. I did one of my usual routes tonight but extended it so it consisted of 2 miles instead of roughly 1 1/2.Ran 2.23 mi on 09/28/2012Find more Run in Mayer, AZFind more Run in Mayer, AZ
I finished it in 31 minutes and 41 seconds which although I'm not too impressed with the time I'll take it. I am still sick so it'll do. Nothing too out of the ordinary until my last tenth of a mile or so when a broom came flying from the back of a trailer attached to a van and nearly took me out. I am not making this up. There was a rouge broom. What's better than a rogue broom? RUNNING with said rogue broom down the street after the van. Oh yes, I totally did. Fortunately I didn't have to go to far with the giant awkward baton because the van turned off into a driveway. I can only imagine what I looked like...always an adventure!

Wednesday, September 19, 2012

So I didn't run tonight despite the insane urge my legs got to kick up the pace during the walk. I may have re-injured my left knee which was operated on over a year ago for tears to the cartilage again and was testing it tonight with a long walk. What was better than the fact that my knee never gave out was that Bruce came along with me! We started out just going for a one miler but turned it into just under three which was a great change. I don't think he was nearly as thrilled as I was to be out there but the company was a great change from my usual solo adventures. Maybe I can talk him into coming along again sometime, both both for the walks and runs. You never know!

We all know how important it is to drink water on a daily basis, but do you know why? Well depending on where you look or who you ask you will find that water makes up between 60% - 70% of our bodies. That's a pretty significant chunk. If you don't get enough water your body will tell you in multiple ways in an attempt to get your attention. Things as simple as a mild headache, dry mouth or fatigue can all be signs you need more water.Dehydration

The number one way to become dehydrated is simple. Don't drink water. Fortunately the number one way to avoid dehydration is equally simple. Drink more water. Easy right? For some people yes, others no. to understand what dehydration is you should understand what it does to your body. If you don't maintain the proper balance, your body starts protesting; you feel sluggish, achy, cranky and have a general crap feeling. Think of water as lubrication for your muscles, bones, joints and brain. If you don't keep your inside lubricated they will start to dry out in a way, if they dry out then it gets harder for everything to function the way it is supposed to. Water is the vital lubrication your body needs to run smoothly, withhold this simple thing long enough and it can lead to a rapid decline in your health, severe dehydration is an emergency situation and not one to be taken lightly, without water long enough and your body will fully shut down (die). Sounds scary huh? It is. You can only go so long without water and once your body notices the deficit it doesn't really know what to do so it will pull water from any source inside you that it can in an attempt to stay alive. Now that we are past the more frightening part of the post how about I list some symptoms to watch out for?Mild Dehydration:

headaches

thirst

fatigue

dizziness

irritability

loss of appetite

urine is darker

Moderate to Severe Dehydration:

fainting

extreme fatigue

sunken and shriveled skin

extreme thirst

lack of sweat

fever

rapid heartbeat/breathing

decreased urine output

In cases of severe dehydration realize this is an emergency situation and please call 911 IMMEDIATELY!Overhydration

By now you are probably freaking out and ready to start guzzling gallons of water at a time. DON'T! Just as dangerous as dehydration is overhydration. Seems like a sick joke right? Wish it was but its not. Now this is fairly simple too. Drink too MUCH water. Now you should know that becoming overhydrated is much harder than the former. Still it is something that can end in a trip to the ER. The idea is that if you consume mass quantities of water, in theory what you down is drown your body in water. The balance of your sodium levels get diluted and your body can't flush all of the water fast enough from your system. Please know that this is highly unlikely to happen in individuals with healthy organs and from drinking water alone. The most common cause seems to be from people with heart and liver disease which could impair your body's ability to flush everything out. Here are some symptoms of overhydration.

Signs and Symptoms of Overhydration:

changes in mental behavior

confusion

muscular cramps

nausea and vomiting

rapid breathing

sudden weight gain

If you suspect this, the best thing to do is call your doctor and discuss options with him or her. Again it is harder to over-hydrate than under-hydrate so the vast majority of the population should be safe with increasing their daily intake. Here's a link I found that seems to be quite good for figuring out how much water you should consume. It has several fields that you input information such as your weight, time you spend exercising per day, and your environmental conditions. Based off of what you put in it will show you an estimate of how many oz. your body needs daily. It also shows it in several different conversions which could be handy. http://www.csgnetwork.com/humanh2owater.html

NOTE: I am not a doctor, nor do I claim to be. This article is based off of what I have found and learned through experience. Please contact your doctor with questions about hydration and risks involved with it.

Monday, September 17, 2012

I have started actively using an app on my phone called RunKeeper. Now keep in mind this is an app that I've had on my phone for some time now but I've always used MapMyRun for tracking my progress. I plan on using this app even more now because of how easy it has made it to do intervals. Check it out!

Wednesday, September 12, 2012

Finally! Words cannot express how happy I am that after four different bottles, I have FINALLY found one that doesn't leak! Hooray! This gem is called the Camelbak Better Bottle and is simply amazing.

I took the Bubba bottle back to Big 5 where the manager gave me a go-ahead to grab as many bottles as I wanted, fill them with water and do the shake test to my hearts content. Boy did I! I eliminated a Filas bottle I was considering rather quickly by half filling it with water, opening and closing the lid, and shaking it every which way possible (right-side up, diagonally, and upside down). It was an epic fail; I turned it upside down, shook and it sprayed like a sprinkler. Now the Camelbak's turn; this guy won with flying colors. I shook and shook and shook with all my might determined to get something out of it and not a single drop came forth. We have our winner! (I may have danced around like a moron for a few seconds doing the victory dance.) In case you wonder what that looks like, look here .

Got it in grey, love it!

The flip top straw is really awesome especially with how easy they have made it to open, you really can open and drink with one hand. The loop is perfect for a carabiner, looping onto your finger, or hooking on to any pack with a latch on it. I had it on my backpack yesterday and it easily withstood the constant swinging back and forth.

Closer view of the bottle

Has a very sleek design and simple design which is very different than the bottles I usually am drawn to, see here and here . I really am a sucker for pretty/adorable bottles and that may be why I had such a hard time with them because I got them based off looks. Don't do that.

The top with the bite-valve

Now, I will point out that if you are unfamiliar with bite-valve straws (I was) it will be awkward the first few times you use it. I fought with it for a while until I figured out how to bite and sip efficiently and I don't doubt that I looked pretty goofy doing it. (Feel free to practice drinking from this alone I won't judge).

Measurements along the backside

I don't know why but it seems like if I can see exactly how much water I am consuming then I get on a roll and keep drinking it. Very good in my book as long as I don't over-hydrate which is as bad as being dehydrated. That along with having the straw makes it easier I think to sip mindlessly and then before you know it you've gone through the bottle and it's time to refill. Again, good in my book as long as you don't overdo it. Oh one more thing, depending on where you get it it can range from $10-$20 which is very reasonable for a non-leaky bottle.QOTD: Ever owned a Camelbak bottle or pack? What is you're holy grail bottle?

So I bought another water bottle to replace the green Trudeau bottle I reviewed here and was very excited once again about it. That didn't last long due to the fact that as soon as I did a water test it proceeded to spray water all over the house. Not cool...again!

You may recognize the green bottle, the pink one on the left was the new Bubba bottle.

I remembered to take a comparison picture of the two bottles side by side before pitching the green one. As you can see the Bubba bottle is again very adorable and has a great shape to it. However it leaked just as bad if not worse than the Trudeau bottle.

What the top looks like, I think it may have been leaking from the hole in the middle but am unsure

The straw was excellent, it flips up easily and is made of silicone so it does bend a small amount. Behind the straw is a little loop similar to what you see on a Camelbak Better Bottle which (spoiler alert) is my new bottle. I'll review it as well so don't fret.

Insulated and made with grooves to keep it in your hands

Now the majority of the leaking seemed to come from where you twist on the lid; it doesn't matter if you lightly tighten it or use the force of God it still leaks. I tried putting the lid on at eye level to see if possibly it was on crooked but nope, there is no obvious reasoning for the leaking except for poor designing. It like the Trudeau must be kept upright at all times, I unfortunately found out when getting out of the car. It had shifted to its side during the trip and proceeded to leak 22 oz of water into the floorboard of the car. Thank god it was only water but still imagine my surprise when my hand shot up from the lack of weight as I got out. The flip-side to all of this is that Big 5 is more than happy to exchange the bottle and will even let me test out their bottles by filling them with water and doing the shake test BEFORE I take the bottle home some 30 miles away. *Shakes head and sighs*.QOTD: How many water bottles have you gone through before finding the perfect one?

About Me

Hey! My name is Niquole and I am a new runner, blogger. I love to write and read up on health/fitness articles, rock climb, hike, and camp. Hopefully I'll be able to rock climb again soon! I'm engaged to an amazing man which is very exciting; he's also in school but for becoming a Sheriff. I also love meeting new people whenever I can. I'm currently going to Yavapai College for Paramedicine although Nursing is my major; I would love to gain experience with trauma and emergency care before I go to Nursing. When I do become a Nurse I plan on specializing in trauma and emergency care. Feel free to email or message me if you wanna chat!

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Disclaimer

I am not a doctor! This blog is for the sole purpose of me documenting my experiences and information I have found related to running and health. Please contact your own doctor before trying any new exercise regimen or taking anything on this blog to heart. Translation: don't sue me! Thanks!